Priorities
by sasha1600
Summary: Part of my 'Lessons' series.  Tony puts a case before his safety.  Warning: spanking of an adult.  Don't like?  Don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Priorities**

**Summary:** Part of my 'Lessons' series. Tony puts a case before his safety. **Warning:** spanking of an adult. Don't like? Don't read!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I just play with them.

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><p><strong>AN: **This is part of my 'Lessons' series and builds on a larger plot arc.

**Warning: This story contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.**

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><p>Gibbs cursed under his breath and shouted into the radio, ordering McGee and DiNozzo, unnecessarily, to get the hell out of there. <em>Of course<em> there was a bomb in the suspect's car, the one with the only trace forensic evidence they'd found linking him to the petty officer's murder. It had been that kind of case.

Gibbs passed the just-caught suspect off to one of the other agents who'd been helping with the massive manhunt – _Glenford? Glendale? Glenman? _– and turned back towards his team, breathing heavily. A few minutes later, he rounded the last sharp turn in the dirt footpath through Rock Creek Park, expecting to see Tim and Tony huddled behind one of the trucks. Instead, Tim was lingering near the truck, obviously torn between seeking proper shelter and staying where he could continue to yell at Tony. Tony, for his part, was still standing next to the suspect's car, leaning into the trunk.

'DiNozzo!' he bellowed, he heart in his throat. Tony looked up, waved, and turned back towards the car.

'What the _hell_ is he doing?' he demanded, grabbing McGee and shoving him behind the truck.

'Trying to defuse the bomb...'

'He's _what_?'

'I told him...'

'DiNozzo, get your ass over here! NOW!'

It felt like an eternity before the younger man turned and jogged towards them, folding his knife away, a massive grin on his face.

'Clear, Boss. I...'

Gibbs silenced him with a stony look that left no doubt that they'd be doing plenty of talking later.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't fair, Tony thought, as he trudged reluctantly through Gibbs's front door. Not a single 'well done' from his boss, even though he'd saved the case. If he hadn't managed to defuse that bomb – something he was pretty damn proud of accomplishing, considering he hadn't had any formal training in the task – the car would have blown up, taking all their evidence with it. They never would have been able to make a case stick without it, and a killer would have gone free. His actions meant there'd be justice for the victim, but that apparently wasn't good enough. Gibbs, who never let an inconvenient rule stand in his way, was going to spank him for not doing things by the book.

'Look, Boss,' he began, hoping to appease the older man. Maybe if he acknowledged that he'd broken protocol, he could convince him that he had a good reason. 'I know...'

'...nothing about defusing bombs!' Gibbs interrupted. So much for that idea.

'I've seen...'

'Tony, there's a reason why we have _experts_ to deal with explosives! It's not something you can learn by watching the Science Channel!'

'Well, I obviously know enough to...'

'You got lucky!'

'But...'

'And you could have been killed! Do you get that, Tony?'

'Yes! I get that! I have a dangerous job. So do you. It's what we both signed up for. So why are you making such a big deal out of...'

'Your job does not include defusing bombs, DiNozzo!'

'Oh, come off it, Gibbs! I've seen you pull out your knife and...'

'When I had no other choice! When it's an emergency...'

'It _was _an emergency!'

'No, it wasn't. You had plenty of time to evacuate the area.'

'But the evidence...'

'Screw the evidence! Tony, you do not put your _life_ at risk for _evidence_! It's one thing to put yourself in danger to save another life; no _thing_ is more important than your own safety.'

'But...'

'No buts, Tony! No one was in any danger. Except you. For no good reason.'

'Boss, I...'

'_You_ are more important than any evidence. Than any case.'

Tony felt some of his indignation deflating. The look on Gibbs's face, as well as his words, made it clear that he wasn't just pissed that Tony had broken the rules.

'Do you have any idea what it felt like, watching you out there today? Thinking I might have to _watch_ you _die_? Dammit, Tony, you're right – the job is dangerous enough! I worry about you enough without you deciding to take unnecessary risks! I've already lost...'

Gibbs scrubbed his hand through his hair, leaving the statement unfinished. Tony could only nod dumbly.

'I am not going to ignore something like this, Tony. You. Are. Not. Expendable. And I'll do whatever I have to, to make sure that you get that message.'

Tony swallowed hard and stared at his feet. He didn't like being spanked by Gibbs at any time, but it was always worse when he started talking like a concerned father rather than just a pissed-off boss. To his surprise, he felt a gentle finger lifting his chin, forcing him to meet the other man's eyes.

'Putting _yourself_ in danger is no different from putting your teammate in danger, Tony,' Gibbs told him seriously. 'I want you to go out back and cut a switch.'


	3. Chapter 3

Tony felt like his blood had turned to ice at the quiet words. His heart was racing, pounding deafeningly loud in his chest, and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

For a brief moment, he desperately wanted to remind his boss that he'd promised never to use a switch again. But the memory of the spanking he'd received when he finally admitted to making up the 'childhood trauma' that had prompted the promise in the first place made it impossible for him to even try to use it to his advantage now. He'd even brought the man a switch to use on him for the lie; he couldn't pretend he didn't know that he was releasing Gibbs from the promise with the confession.

But that didn't mean he wasn't scared witless by the thought of being switched again, and he wasn't above begging his boss to punish him some other way.

He opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. His frantic eyes must have communicated his panic, however, because he found himself being pulled into a rough embrace.

'I know, son. But I don't want you having any doubt that I care as much about you trying to get yourself killed, as I did when your poor judgement could have killed Tim.'

Tony blinked back tears.

'Now go on,' Gibbs said, releasing him and turning him gently towards the back door.

Tony moved in a daze, crossing the deck, choosing a terrifying young branch from the tree at the bottom of the yard, and returning with hands that he dimly realised were shaking. He watched helplessly as Gibbs pulled out his own knife and deftly stripped and trimmed the switch to his satisfaction, then felt himself being ushered back inside by a firm hand on his back.

He let himself be steered through the kitchen and into the living room, and far too quickly found himself bent over the back of the battered couch, his jeans and boxers around his ankles and his hands clenched around one of the seat cushions. Gibbs's hand came to rest once more on his back, and he braced himself for the pain he knew was coming.

'Deep breath, Tony.'

The quiet order surprised him, but his attempt to obey resulted in nothing more than a gasp.

'It's ok, Tony. Just breathe.'

It seemed like an eternity that he lay there, the warm weight of Gibbs's hand oddly comforting on his back, but it was probably only seconds before his panicked choking on air gave way to deeper, calmer breathing.

'You ready?'

Tony somehow managed to nod. He'd rather never do this at all, but he'd long since given Gibbs control over such decisions.

The switch landed almost immediately, a blaze of intense pain that made coherent thought impossible. He heard himself begging for it to stop, but Gibbs never hesitated, whipping him hard despite his pleas. Again and again he felt the sting of the switch, sobbing and screaming and struggling helplessly against Gibbs's restraining hand. His ass felt like it was on fire, every stripe seared into his bare skin.

When it finally did stop, he sagged against the worn fabric, tears streaming down his face. He could hear Gibbs speaking, his tone soothing, but couldn't make out the words. He felt gentle hands replacing his boxers, and he winced at even the light contact with the soft cotton. He didn't resist when his feet were lifted and his jeans cast aside, or when he was pulled upright and guided around the couch to be lowered carefully onto it.

He slowly got himself under control. He shifted slightly and wiped at his face with his hand before a bunch of tissues was pressed into it. Callused fingers carded soothingly through his hair.

'Don't do that to me again, Tony.'

Still not trusting his voice, Tony just nodded. Even though he knew Gibbs meant that he shouldn't take any more needless risks, it almost sounded like he was being asked not to make his boss take a switch to him again. And, he thought, shifting slightly and deciding he might not move until the welts faded, that would be alright with him.


End file.
